Hemp machine



May 14, 1929. K, WESSEL 1,712,910

HEMP MACHINE l Filed June 13 1927 1o sheets-'sheet 1 vMaly 14, 1929. K, VESSEL 1,712,910

HEM'P MACHINE k Filed June 13, 1927 lO SheeLs--Sheecl 2 May 14, 1929. K, WESSEL 1,712,910

` HEMP MACHINE Filed June l5, 1927 10 Sheets-Sheet 5 May 14, 19129. K, WESSEL 1,712,910

' HEMP MACHINE Filed June 15, 1927 10 'sheets-sheet 4 cuooo eoocioQ --w-e-o oooooohonoocoo nascono 0000000 BOOOOOO May 14, 1929. K WESSEL, 1,712,910

HEMP MACHINE Filed June 13, 1927 10 Sheets-Sheet 5 ZUM/WMM May 14, 1972.9. v K WESSEL 1,712,91()

HEMP MACHINE Filed June l5, 19.27 lO Sheets-Sheet 5 May 14, 1929. K. -wEssEL 1,712,910

HEMI `MACHINE Filed June l5, 1927 l0 Sheets-Sheet 7 May 1% 1929. K. wEssEL 1,712,910

HEMP MACHINE Filed June l5, 1927 lO Sheets-Sheet 8,

K. WESSEL May 14, 1929.

HEMP MACHINE Filed June l5. 1927 10 Sheets-Sheet 9 K. WESSEL HEMP MACHINE May 14, 1929.

Filed June 15, 192'? l() Sheets-Sheet 10 www f. www

Patented May 14, 1929.

UNITED STATES KARL WESSEL, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

HEM? MACHINE.

Application led June 13, 1927. `Serial No.- 198,417.

This invention provides an improved machine for the treatment of hemp and similar fibrous materials and, generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In a sense, the present machine is in the nature of an improvement on the hemp Inachine disclosed and claimed in my prior Patent No. 1,592,317, issued July 13, 1926. This machine is adapted to act upon the hemp straw in the condition that it is in when it comes from the field, but to obtain the best results, the hemp straw should first be retted and dried. The main or first grade product of the machine is the combing of long hemp fibre, suitable for use in making rope, aeroplane canvas and the like. When short fibre is obtained, it will be found suitable for use in making linen rugs, oakum or the like. As a by-produet of the machine,

there is obtained a commingling of very short fibre, shives, or woody particles, which are suitable for use in making insulating material, packing and the`like.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustr'ate a machine embodying the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings: u

Figs. 1, 1a and 1h are, respectively, the left, the intermediate and the right-hand portions of the complete machine, the said machine being shown in right side elevation, and which drawings, to produeeithe complete elevation, should have the lines .acof Figs. 1 and 1 aligned, and the lines :1f-x of Figs. 1a and 1b aligned;

Figs. 2, 2a and 2b 'are plan views corresponding, respectively, toFigs. 1, 1a and 1b, and which drawings, to produce a complete elevation, should have the lines t1- of Figs. 2 and 2a aligned and the lines :1f-a2' of Figs. 2a and 2b aligned;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, some parts being shown in full; O

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section taken on the line L.1f-l1 of Figs. 2 and 2a;

v Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2b;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2";

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail of an eccentric a-iid crank rod also shown in Fig. 5; and f Fig. 8 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 88 `of Fig. 4, some parts being shown in full.

Directing attention first particularly to Figs. 1, la, 1b, 2, 2a and 2", the numeral 8 indicates a very long and heavy framework on which all of the parts are directly or indirectly mounted.

The hemp straw to be fed to the machine is placed on an endless feed apron 9 mounted to run over power-driven rollers 10 journaled in the left-hand end portion of the framework 8, directions being taken in respect to the views just described. By the apron 9, the straw will be fed between a series of pairs of cooperating corrugated breaking rollers 11. 'lhe lower of these rollers are journaled directly in bearings on the main frame 8, while the upper of said rollers, as is customary, are journaled in floating bearings 12 held for vertical movements in skeleton-like frame extensions 8a,l said bearings being yieldingly pressed downward by springs 13.' The lower breaking rollers 11 are provided with gears 14, which are diagrammatically indicated in Fig. 1, and are driven through a somewhat complicated train of gears 15, and which train of gears, in turn, is driven from a gear 1G journaled on one side of the main frame 8. The driving gear for rollers of the above chaiactcr is well known and it is Ilot deemed necessary for the purposes of this case to specifically note this particular gear.

It is important, however, thatthe corrugations of the pairs of breaking rolls 11 be made progressively finer and finer from the receiving toward the discharge pairs, that is, from the left toward the right in respect to the drawings, and` this is the arrangement employed in this machine and which is further illustrated ingFig. 3.

From the last pair of breaking rolls-11, theyfibre, with the 'woody portion thereof broken and loosened up, will be delivered to the toothed hackle or earding drums 17, the

teeth of which are indicated b the numeral 17 and said teeth project tierefrom and are spaced laterally and circumferentially aligned. In the machine illustrated, there are four hackle drums arranged to receive the fibre and act upon the same progressivecooperating hackle drum 17. Working between the delivery end of the one concave 2() and the toothed bar 2l of the next concave 20 is a toothed retarding roller 22, the shafts 23 of which are journaled in the sides of the main frame and are provided with gears 24 that mesh with and form intermediate gears between the adjacent hackle drum gears 19. The teeth of the retarding drums 22 are indicated by the numerals 22 and are circumferentially spaced and laterally aligned and work betw-een the teeth 17 of the drums 17.

Closely overlying the several toothed hackle drums 17 and rigidly secured to the sides of the main frame is a cover plate 25, which serves to hold the fibre down against the teeth of the said hackle drums.

From the last or right-hand hackle drum 16, the fibre is delivered to an endless elevater belt 26which, as shown, runs over rollers 27 and 2 8 the shafts of which are journaled, respectively, in the sides of the main frame and in frame extensions 29, (see particularly Figs. 4 and 5). The shaft 28a of the upper roller 28 carries the eccentrics 30, (see Fig. 7), which, by connecting rods 31,-are connected to the front end of a substantially horizontal rocker frame 32 intermediately pivot-ed at 33 to the frame eXtensions 29. Secured to the front end of the rocker frame 32, in position to receive the fibre from the upper end of the elevator belt 26, is a coarse vertically vibratory screen 34` that is positioned to deliver the fibre onto a lower and finer mesh screen 35. p

The lower screen 35, by means of brackets 36, is secured to cross bars 37, the ends of which are journaled in rocker segments 38, which, in turn, are pivoted to the sides of the inain frame by cross shafts 39. The segments 38 are rigidly connected by cross bars 40, and by reference particularly to Fig. 5, it will be noted that the sides of the main frame 8 are provided with segmental slots 41 that afford clearance for the bars 37 and 40. The rockers 38 are outside of the main frame and they are provided with outstanding studs 42 that are connected by links 43, which cause the front and rear rockers to simultaneously oscillate. The studs 42 of the right-hand or rear rockers are further connected to the left-hand ends of connecting rods 43a that are connected to cranks 44, (see particularly Figs. 2 and G), carried by a cross shaft 45.

The fibre from the screen 35 is delivered to an inclined deck 46 that terminates in a concave portion over which works a long toothed combing drum 47 carried b a shaft 48 journaled in the sides of the mam frame, and which acts as a sort of a primary comb in straightening out the fibre received from the screen 35. From the toothed drum 47, the fibre is delivered between cooperating toothed breaking rollers 49, of which, as shown, there are two pairs, the lower rollers being mounted in fixed bearings on the main frame and the upper rollers being mounted in movable bearings that are yieldingly pressed downward by springs 50, (see particularly Fig. 6).

From the rollers 49, the partly straightened fibre is delivered to a large toothed combing or carding drum 51, the shaft 52 of which is liournaled in suitable bearings on lthe sides of the main frame. Underlying the drum'51 is a toothless or smooth concave 53 and overlying said drum is a hood or cover plate 54. The concave 53 and hood y54 are spaced to afford a fibre-discharge passage 55 through which the straightened cleaned fibre will be delivered onto a table, conveyor, orl any other suitable device, not shown.

The heretofore noted right and left gears 24 are, as shown, driven through sprocket and chain drives 5G, (see Figs. 1 and 1). The heretofore noted shaft 28 is driven from the last drum shaft 18 through a sprocket and chain drive 57, and which sprocket and chain drive also drives the drum shaft 52, the shaft 45, the lower rollers 49,'and the drum shaft 48. These driving connections may, of course, be of any suitable or well known arrangement, and, hence, for the purposes of this case, need not be traced in detail. It is sufficient to note that the various running parts are rotated in the directions of the arrows marked thereon or adjacent thereto. Also, it will be noted, by reference particularly to Fig. 1, that the relative sizes of gears 19 and 24 and the hackle drums 17 and rolls 22 are such that said rolls will be driven at a very much slower peripheral speed than the said drums. Also, it will'be noted that the teeth on the rolls 22 are ratchet-like and that they are arranged in laterally spaced circumferentially aligned series that work between the laterally spaced circumferentially aligned series of teeth on the hackle drums 17 and 4common direction.

in close contact with the peripheral surfaces of said drums. The importance of the above structure will appear in the description of the operation. s best shown in Fig. 8, the teeth of rollers 22 are laterally spaced so that they work; between the teeth of the adjacent hackle drums.

Operation.

The parts of the machine have now been described and,`in some instances, their functions have been indicated. The general operation of the machine is substantially as follows The hemp or fibrous straw delivered onto the feed apron 9 is delivered to the first pair of breaking rollers 11 and, as it is .progressively forced between the cooperating rollers of increasing fineness of corrugations, the shive or woody portion will be broken and more or less loosened from the fibre, but the fibre will not be broken or damaged.

From the' 'breaking rollers, the straw will be delivered to the haekle drums 17 and subjected to the cooperating action of the teeth of these drums and of the concave bars 21, by the action of which much of the loosened shive will be stripped from the fibre without, however, damaging the fibre. As the fibre, with its loosened or separated shive, is delivered from the one to the other of the hackle drums 17, it will be passed over the toothed retarding rollers 22 and will be so thoroughly shaken that most of the loosened fibre will be dropped oriprecipitated to the bottom of the machine where it may be lcaught by any suitable receptacle or device or deposited on the floor. As before noted, a hackle drum 17 and its cooperating roll 22 rotate in opposite directions, which, of course, causes their contacting surfaces to move or feed the fibrous material in a Due, however, to the fact that the roll moves at a much slower peripheral speed than the drum, the ratchetlike teeth on. the roll have a retarding or back-pulling action on the fibrous material, and this causes the ratchet-like teeth of the rolls to strip-off the shives and to straighten out the fibre. It is of the utmost importance that the teeth on the roll run in the spaces between the laterally spaced circumferentially aligned teeth of the drum and that the teeth of said rolls run in quite elose'contact with the peripheral surface of the drum, for otherwise neither the stripping nor fibrestraightening action may be carried out to any considerable extent. l

The fibre, as it is pulled against the retarding or back-holding action of the toothed rolls 22, will be forced between the teeth of the coneaves 20, and after passing said teeth, will be straightened out and carried freely over the toothless eontinuations or extensions of the said eoncaves, and are therefore delivered from the last drum to the conveyor 26 in quite well straightened-out or combed condition, free from shives.

The fibre delivered to the elevator belt 2G will be carried upward and deposited on the upper or coarse vibrator-y screen 34. This screen 34 is given violent and almost vertical vibratory movements, which will serve to shake the loose shives or woody' portions and cause the same to be dropped to the bottom of the machine. The fibre will, however, be gradually worked olf from the delivery end of the screen 34 and deposited on the lower and finer screen 35.

The screen 35 is given an upwardly' and downwardly and forwardly and rearwardly shaking movement, which, further removes from the fibre and, in fact, almost completely removes from the fibre all the shives or woody portions that have been loosened therefrom. Moreover, this peculiar movement of the sieve 35 progressively moves the fibre toward and delivers the same onto the deck 46, where the fibre will be subjected to the rst or long toothed combing drum 47. The fibre in the treatments given thereto by the devices already described will be more or less in tangled condition, but by the action of the long-toothed carding drum 47, it will be quite well combed out with its libres extending generally in the direction of the travel of the stock through the machine.

Even after passing through the machine as far as the combing or carding drum 47, there may be and usually will be some small particles of shive still unbroken and adhering to the fibre, but in passing the fibre through or between the cooperating finetoothed breaking rolls 49, this remaining fibre will be broken and loosened from the fibre. The fibre deliveredy from the rollers 49 will be acted upon by the toothed carding or combing drum 51, and by the latter, will be combed and straightened out and delivered from the machine through the discharge passage 55 in very straight and. clean condition.

The machine above described, while highlyeliicient for the purposes stated, is comparatively simple, completely automatic in its action and requires very little attention.

Vhat I claim is:

1. In a fibre-producing machine, the combination with a hackle drumvhaving projecting laterally spaced series of circumferentially aligned teeth, of a retarding roll working adjacent thereto and having laterally spaced series of circumferentially aligned teeth that work between the series of teeth of said drum and in -close Contact with the surfaces of said drum, and means for rotating said drum and. roll in reverse directions, the latter at a slower peripheral speed than the former, whereby said roll will cooperate with said drum in the feeding act tion hut will hold back, straighten 'out and retard the advance movement of the libreproducing material.

2. The structure defined in claim l in further combination with a concave extending from said retarding roll under said hackle drum and provided with teeth located close to said roll and having a smooth portion extending from the toothed portion in the direction of the rotation of said drum.

3. The structure defined in claim l in which the teeth on said roll are ratchetshaped with major inclines in the direction of rotation.

4. The structure defined in claim 1 in Which the teeth on said rolls have flat ratchet-like faces and are formed with major inclines in the direction of rotation of the roll.

5. In a fibre-producing machine, the combination with longitudinally spaced hackle drums having projecting laterally spaced series of circumferentially aligned teeth, of a retarding roll located between said drums and Working adjacent to the second thereof and having laterally spaced circumferentially aligned teeth that work between the series of teeth of said second drum but are spaced from the teeth of the first drum, means for rotating said two drums in the same direction and'said roll iii a reverse drection but at a slower peripheral speed than said drums, and concaves extended under said first and second drums, the concave for the first druin delivering to said I ioll and the concave for said second drum receiving from said roll.

6. The structure defined in claim 5 in Which said concaves are provided with teeth at their receiving portions and with toothless portions extended in the direction of rotation of said drums.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

KARL WESSEL. 

